Roller Coaster
by Shien the Sea Doggo
Summary: Story with several OC characters, set several years the end of the Yuuzhan Vong war. Follow Maudo and His master Erak as the apprentice tries to overcome his own shortcomings while also dealing with threats from across the galaxy.
1. Chapter 1

Roller Coaster

The stars were everywhere. He knew that for a fact. His eyes were closed, his body surrounded by durasteel on each side, his mind lost in the folds of the Force, but he still knew that he was surrounded by the stars. It was one of the only constants in the life of a Jedi, even a padawan. He could count the constants in his life on one hand… His master, the Force, and the stars. He took a deep breath, though he wasn't aware of it. Not even a little. He was connected now, a part of the living Force, and he heard everything. He heard the living Force speaking to him.

Hell, he heard everything speaking to him. He heard the jangled mess of all the crew, the annoyance, the happiness, the anger, all coming through to him in vibrant emotions through the Force, going through him like concussive blasts. One 'blast' suddenly hit him hard, coming from a rodian on level three… His girlfriend was leaving him, and he was _not_ happy. He grunted, as the rodian felt angrier and angrier as he spoke through the hologram. The padawan felt the wave, the anger blossom forth, his teeth gnashing forth.

 _Cut it off._ Came the sudden voice, but the padawan couldn't hear him, not anymore. The anger, to him at least, felt strange and foreign to the touch. He reached out with the force to inspect it more, only to recoil back in pain. The rodian's anger was… prickly.

 _Cut it off. Maudo, cut it off. It's just anger._ The voice was much more insistent, and Maudo's eyebrows furrowed. Who was that again? Oh right, it was his master. The door to his left suddenly opened.

"Maudo, talk to me." Was all the man said. The apprentice's eyes flew open, and he turned to his master.

"Anger is always… So bizarre." He admitted, and stood up with only minor difficulty.

"And yet it comes so naturally to everyone except you."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not necessarily. It just makes you a… Strange case."

"How so?" He walked with his master, arms behind his back. His hood was down, revealing his short, black hair. His nose was long, tapering off in a sort of eagle beak. Not surprisingly, it was quite the conversation starter. His master, a Zabrak from Tattooine, Eran Tora, cut quite an imposing figure. He stood at easily over 6 feet tall, massive muscles bulging under his robes. His horns were long and well groomed, and his hair dangled in a long and graceful pony tail. He stood several feet over Maudo.

"Shouldn't Jedi have no emotion?" Maudo asked, looking up at his master.

"Jedi are luminous beings, like every master will tell you, but we are actually physical beings with luminous minds. Maudo, you are an organic being, last time I checked, and that pretty much implies some sort of emotion." His master answered.

"Sorry to be a dissapointment."

"Don't be pouty, I invented pouty."

Maudo gave a small smirk. "Forgive me master. Where are we going?"

"To the bridge. The captain wants to speak to us."

"Why? Drinks and Zeltrons?" Eran didn't even dignify that with a response. Before Maudo knew it, they were already at the blast door to the bridge. It opened with a whoosh and they walked inside. Maudo found himself staring around, watching the people milling about like ants. Everyone had a job to do it seemed, everyone having a purpose. Unconsciously, Mauto tried again to reach out with the force, and what he found surprised him. Some of the men weren't… Thinking. At least not about their jobs. Perhaps they were distracted? He decided to search again, and finally made a connection; as he looked at a younger, newer officer and felt his passion for the job he was given. Almost all of his efforts and concentration were focused on that keyboard he was tapping away at, while the much older commander Maudo was walking towards was spending his mental faculties looking at the stars.

Maudo rose an eyebrow, wondering if all old people were just lazy or if they were so familiar with their jobs that they didn't need to focus. He tried to focus more, only to feel his master's hand on his shoulder, like a calming wind blowing away the muddle of his thoughts.

"It's rude to read someone's feelings like that." Eran scolded.

Maudo only nodded, deciding to focus on the head honcho alone. Maudo realized with a start that the conversation had already started, and he had allowed himself to drift off. He cleared his throat apologetically, and listened.

"Master Tora, we're going to come out of hyperspace pretty soon. The supplies for your little mercy mission are still in the cargo bay, as well as the speeders. We'll drop you off on Dantooine, send a couple soldiers with you, then let you get on your merry way right?" He explained to Eran, who only nodded every so often.

"Sounds good to me." He reasoned, giving a small shrug of his shoulders. The plan certainly hadn't changed in the last three hours they spent in hyperspace.

Speaking of Hyperspace, a younger pilot spoke up.

"Captain, we're coming up on Dantooine."

"Perfect. Go ahead and pull us out real close. We're on the clock here." He warned, and Erak gripped Maudo's shoulder.

 _Cargo Bay._ And Maudo nodded. He understood his master' intention perfectly, as he turned on his heel and walked across the bridge to the door without so much as a word spoken to everyone. Erak gave a small, sheepish grin when he turned to the captain.

"He uh… He's not the best at conversation." He lied, before walking out with him.

They hit an elevator, and went straight down as the crew hit the breaks. The ship came out of hyperspace as Maudo and his master started loading crates onto the transport, affectionately called "the Mule" by the crew. Maudo was lifting two or three boxes at a time and stacking them impeccably. He certainly didn't want to damage the food.

"Good. Try 5 boxes." Erak ordered, and Maudo nodded, taking his time as 5 suitcase sized crates were lifted, and he slowly moved them to make up the newest row, setting them down one at a time. Erak nodded, satisfied.

"Telekinesis is getting better."

"I prefer telepathy." Maudo almost pouted.

"Telepathy doesn't control things for defense. You rely too much on your own body for reactions." Erak scolded.

"Says the body builder."

"Don't argue with me."

"It's true."

Erak sighed, and looked at his apprentice.

"It is true, but I use telekinesis to augment my strength. That's the difference. Sure, you can read minds and guess what people are going to do next, but it doesn't help to know a speeder's coming if you can't find a way to stop it."

Maudo was silent as he contemplated this. He then lifted 6 boxes, and carefully moved them into place.

"Well done." Came his master's voice, and he gave an approving nod. Under Erak's supervision, the food was loaded into one transport, while clothes and miscellaneous supplies were loaded (much more quickly) by a few soldiers into two other transports.

"Dropping down on the planet's surface in 5." Squealed the captain's voice over the intercom, and Maudo entered their little transport. His hands reached for the controls, but Erak beat him to it, giving his apprentice a knowing little smirk.

"Not after last time." He chastised, and booted up the transport.

With practiced hands, the ship was floating in place, and when the order was given, he hit the throttle and shot through the one-way ray shield like a blaster bolt as he flew down to the planet's surface. Erak didn't need to look back to tell what maudo was doing, for he could already sense a tranquility coming from his apprentice. No doubt, he was looking at the stars as the three transports fell to Dantooine to help out the populace.


	2. Chapter 2

Maudo stepped off of the transport, and leaked at the bleak, yet somehow extremely peaceful wheat-covered dunes of Dantooine. As he searched further and further, as far as his sight could possibly go, his eyes widened further and further as well. Did this planet have an end? He turned around then, seeing the little town they were there to help. Ramshackle houses and tents dotted the small village, and Maudo frowned. They certainly looked a little worse for wear.

"Reminds me of Tattooine." Erak commented, and Maudo turned to his master.

"You miss the homeland?" The younger man asked.

"Nah. You?"

"Mandalore's pretty choppy this time of year." Maudo admitted, and smiled as he added something else.

"Really puts a damper on the spirit." Maudo's master gave a small snort at that comment, then planted a hand on his apprentice's shoulder.

"Let's keep unloading." He offered, and Maudo nodded. Turning on his heel, his apprentice braid whipping about, Maudo marched back. Driven like a man on a mission, he grabbed two cases, filled with clothes, and strolled to the village. Erak would soon follow, lifting two crates on his shoulders.

Maudo glanced back at his master, and spoke through the force.

"Show off." And Erak then gripped both crates, and lifted them both high above his head, walking with ease.

Before long, and with a good deal more showing off, Maudo arrived at the village, and his lip curled before he could stop it.

These people definitely weren't that well off; farmers were displaced everywhere in this little camp. Maudo swallowed, and, setting the cases down, he looked off to the horizon, staring at what had caused this strife. His face remained composed as he saw the rift, one massive plate of earth was several meters higher than the other. The sudden shift change was visible from Maudo's standpoint, at least 30 miles away. He turned to open the case of clothes, his face set in stone.

Erak, knowing the look well, furrowed his big eyebrows. The way Maudo avoided every gaze, the way he kept focused on his work. Erak shook his head.

The boy doesn't know how to feel in this situation. He's pretending to look like he's not trying to feel, so that no one guesses that he actually doesn't feel anything. Erak shook his head, and bit his lip.

Did the boy feel nothing? He could bore through the mind of the force, hear what the trees around him thought, and felt. Yet he couldn't produce the tiniest bit of sadness or empathy for an entire town uprooted by an earthquake?

People died, and he was more focused on what facial expression to use. Erak grunted as he threw himself into his work, and carted the crates to the village center, opening one to reveal a stockpile of fruits and veggies from Yaviin 4.

He allowed himself a smile as he opened the next crate to reveal protein of all kinds. Nuts, grains, and even meat. The Jedi Temple had given away nearly 40% of their stores to help these people in their hour of need. No one man had thought of the idea, and as Erak remembered the scene, he smiled. News spread of an earthquake, breaking the very crust of Dantooine's surface. He swore he could almost feel every jedi look to each other, and then stroll casually to their food stores. They had contacted the Alliance to send ships and men to help, and Erak has personally volunteered to see the operation through. Why? Because he was the Iron Jedi.

He grinned as people came close and he offered food. He had made sure to wash his hands many times over to keep the food clean.

Erak handed them fruits and meats one by one, as his apprentice opened his own few cases, revealing clothes and blankets. Big, long and thick blankets, fit for a king.

The refugees swarmed towards him as well, and thank Kriff he was already grabbing blankets for them. He handed them out two at a time, studying faces. He felt his own crack into a smile as he greeted and said goodbye to every person that came by.

He saw farmers and herders and their wives and children.

Then, at one point, when Maudo turned to reach for more cloaks, when he felt a tug on his own.

Frowning, Maudo turned back to meet the offender.

A little boy looked up at him.

Maudo tilted his head, and lowered himself to his knees to talk to the kid.

"Hey buddy. You trying to get my attention?"

The little toe-head nodded.

"I can't find my mommy..." Maudo flashed a smile at the kid, warm and reassuring.

"Well, that's no problem. Where did you see her last?" Maudo asked, searching the kid's eyes. He knew the child's answer long before he turned, and pointed past the mountanous rift.

Maudo swallowed.

Oh Kriff… If she's still there she's probably… He looked at the kid, and tilted his head.

"Over there huh? Back at your home?" He nodded again.

"I couldn't find her before our neighbor grabbed me and drove me here." Maudo nodded, looking back at that ridge for the 8th time in less than 10 seconds. He shook his head suddenly.

"Right, right. Ok, well, why not go ahead and look for her then?" The kid nodded, trying to rub the dirt off his face. The effort didn't succeed, instead leaving dirt streaks on his face like a kitty. Maudo turned to his master, who had his arms folded. His eyebrows were furrowed together, his lips slanted down. He looked almost pitying to Maudo.

Look, I'm sorry padawan, but that kid's mom is dead. That place is a war zone. We could see the fissure from the earthquake from orbit. To this Maudo simply responded with the shake of a head.

He walked past his master, every so often turning his head. Erak turned as well, watching his apprentice go, yet look back. The Zabrak's eyes narrowed, and turned back to the little boy.

Maudo's not looking at you, is he? No… He looked higher up, and saw the massive rift. He turned back one more time, and again saw his padawan's intense stare of the scar. Maudo found a speeder bike, slipped one leg over, and turned the switch. The bike jumped to life with a hearty engine roar, and he immediately jumped two feet over the ground. The look in his eyes said it all to his master.

I'm going. The Zabrak sighed, and turned then as Maudo shot towards them, stopping only to talk to the boy.

"I'll get your mom back, ok kiddo?" He asked, and the little boy nodded, smiling as he waved goodbye. Having all the permission he needed, Maudo then rocketed off past the camp, becoming only a small blip in a matter of seconds. As he moved further away, his master's arms remained folded, his concern growing.

Maudo… I didn't sense a shred of empathy for that kid… So why did you go to save his mom? Through his ponderings, one more thought came to his mind.

What's over there?

The wheat dunes were silent; dead silent. Not even the wind whistled through them. Each stalk of produce remained stagnant, pointing straight to the sky.

They seemed afraid, too stiff to move.

The only movement they produced, was when the screech of a swoop bike howled by them, causing them to whip about as if violently thrashed.

Then, they settled, as if nothing happened.

Maudo's speed further increased, his hand throttling the handles with a quiet confidence, as if he was bending the bike to his will. If he was in a car, Maudo would've thrown the engine into the red by now. The bike started to whine in protest as he moved even faster.

At his extreme speed, Maudo arrived in less than a minute. He arrived on the lower side of the rift, and actually had to look up to see the top. No wonder these people were displaced…. Any earthquake that strong would do the job. Maudo slipped off the bike, one leg over the other, and then leapt upwards, executing a flip to land on his feet on the higher side of the rift.

He looked about to see well built houses, all devastated by the quake. He counted around 20, but with so much wreckage, it was hard to be certain.

He looked around a few more times, and seeing no people, he sat down with a grunt, his body striking a meditative pose. With only one deep breath, Maudo was plugged into the force itself.

His mind moved out among the small village, probing every broken house. Absently, he noticed that there were very few bodies.

But he wasn't looking for the bodies. His eyes opened and his gaze fell on a metal barn. Maudo planted his hands on his knees to help him stand up, and the apprentice marched toward it.

What he wanted was in there, and the only time he hesitated was when he reached the durasteel door. He just looked at it for a while, as if he wasn't sure what to make of it.

He took a deep breath.

His hands reached out to push against the door, and it gave way on reinforced hinges. The doors opened with a heinous screech, and he entered, his shadow swallowed by the barn's.

When his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, they alighted on a prone figure. He walked to it, even though he felt fairly certain that he knew who it was. With his boot, he pushed the body over, finding a woman, hair matted to her face. Her hair was the same color as the child, a bright gold. Given that no one appeared to be alive,

Maudo was certain that the boy's mother had perished.

But Maudo only spared her a cursory glance after that.

Then he turned around.

And he saw that he wasn't alone.

The shadows revealed a man in a dark cloak, stalking towards him. He was taller than Maudo by far. Nothing else was visible to the apprentice. Silently, the figure pulled something from the confines of his robe, and the telltale ignition of a lightsaber was heard as a red blade leapt from the handle.

Maudo shed his cloak, revealing surprisingly non-jedi like clothing. His gray sleeves didn't sag, but rather clung to his wrists, and he wore somewhat tight pants as well. Not enough to limit movement, but not enough to resemble a standard jedi robe. In fact, the only thing traditional about his clothes were the boots, a nice brown leather.

Then his own lightsaber ignited, revealing a yellow blade, shorter than most.

Maudo's hand was steady, his eyes zeroed in on the target, as he placed his lightsaber in both hands, and simply waited.

Then, the figure leapt for the attack.


End file.
